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Innovaganix Containment War
The Innovaganix Containment War was a large-scale conflict fought across many regions. Although Innovaganix had previously been at war with rivals for some time prior, the war began in earnest with the launch of Operation Shellshock on Day 8 of Summer's Set, 197, (or September 8th, 2412) in Pel's Aurora, in which raids were launched against every world sponsored by the regional branch. Most of these raids were successful, but the war continued to escalate until it enveloped much of the Human Domain. This would come to be the deadliest war in human history. Background Innovaganix's Rise to Power In First Abundance of 197 (or June of 2412), Tritach lost influence in Pel's Aurora as a result of the Pel's Aurora Settlement Wars. Innovaganix swept into Blue Quadrant and secured sponsorships with the colonies there, which included (going by astrographical names): Iota Zulu, Meio, and Psi Olympia. The colonies had been seeking out a new sponsor, and acquiesced to a new deal in which Innovaganix would hire the workers (formerly in Tritach's employ) at a flat rate of A$65,000 per month in return for a quota of 10% each colony's resource yield. This was actually quite a generous deal, somewhat better of an exchange for the colonies than many experienced in the region for a long time, and much better than the neglect experienced under Tritach (and in fact Innovaganix's own colonies in Green Quadrant, which gave 25% without any financial compensation) so the colonial deputies had little hesitation in accepting the deal. However, Euerythro remained independent. This acquisition more than doubled the number of inhabited worlds under Innovaganix sphere of influence, from just two to five, and brought an entire new quadrant of barely-explored space to patrol, explore, and exploit. After this acquisition Innovaganix became indisputably the hegemon of Pel's Aurora. Lukkastor was weakened and complacent, while Ronstal was distracted in its war with ATOS. Innovaganix domination began a brief period of peace and stability in the region, with the exception of the War of Innovaganix Reassertion, during which the colony of Regotha joined Innovaganix as a protectorate (though not a sponsor). However, another result of this acquisition was that Innovaganix was spread thin. Mass Conveyor trade routes were established with each of these new colonies, linking them to Spiremos, but these conveyors, and the colonies they trade with, would be vulnerable to attack from various external threats such as aliens, marauders, and hostile megacorps. In order to defend its new acquisitions, Deon Banner began the CARAPACE defense program, mobilizing permanent garrisons of starships and ground troops, starting in Broad Light, 197 (July, 2412). Thanks to defeating HMMC at Regotha, Innovaganix captured a large number of starships and weapons, a stockpile that enabled Innovaganix to carry out this promise. CARAPACE called for the deployment of heavy frigates wherever possible, and wargalleons and sloops-of-war otherwise, to each of Innovaganix's sponsored colonies (and Regotha), in addition to 5000 veteran soldiers. Response to this military presence was mixed. Innovaganix soldiers on Meio were treated politely but the Meyove made their distaste of the troops very obvious, and set up a village for them to live far from Awugheswt proper. On Iota Zulu, the troops were asked to escort civilian expeditions to explore the planet, and to some extent trained the formative elements of the IZAF. On Psi Olympia the response was decidedly neutral, the citizens doing their best to ignore the troopers if at all possible. Kalonda and Regotha were the only such worlds where the garrisons saw immediate combat action - against the Kalondan arthropods and a resistance movement, respectively. Dissent against Innovaganix Numerous factors contributed to undermining Innovaganix influence and prestige in the region, and the outbreak of total war. First of course was the experimentation on colonists, kidnapped and taken to the BIOMELAB, especially political prisoners and war captives. Second, CARAPACE showed that it wasn't invincible, when marauders attacked Meio and Psi Olympia and had some success. Third, Lukkastor still considered Regotha to be within its sphere of influence, and the subjugation of the planet was seen as a violation of the non-aggression pact made between the two parties. Fourth, ATOS contracted part of its regional fleet to Lukkastor service, which gave Lukkastor the confidence to declare war in Coppersky (August). Fifth, also in August, Innovaganix began to deploy its retroviral "biobomb" - capable of wiping out the (infected) population of a planet at the flip of a switch. Furthermore, all sponsored worlds in Innovaganix sphere of influence were infected - and some outside it. The bioweapon was a weapon of control - obey Innovaganix or die, a bid to establish hegemonic power over a vast area of space like no one had ever dreamed before, and certainly no human. The biobomb spread terror throughout the region once others became aware of it. This and Innovaganix aggression towards Rho Aquilae angered The Free Systems, who began plotting their reprisal, which would become the opening moves of the war. Course of the War Operation Shellshock Warlords and colonies of the Free Systems collaborated to develop a plan, known to them as Operation Shellshock so-named because its purpose was to break apart the CARAPACE defense network and sever Innovaganix lines of supply and communication. The plan involved a coordinated, simultaneous attack against five worlds with CARAPACE garrisons. On the 8th of Summer's Set, coalition forces engaged Innovaganix in the orbits of Iota Zulu, Regotha, Kalonda, Atodes, and Psi Olympia. CARAPACE was caught by surprise, and the feared Hive Fleet was not mobilized to any one location. Nonetheless, CARAPACE repulsed two of the attacks. In the Skirmish at Atodes, the coalition was outmatched in laser firepower and had to rely on support weapons like drones and missiles - when these were countered by advanced Innovaganix countermeasures, the coalition was forced to retreat. Still getting systems online after the EMP burst of so many fusion warheads, however, CARAPACE and their local allies in Atodes could not pursue the warlords. In the Skirmish at Iota Zulu, unexpected reinforcements to CARAPACE in that system meant that the attack was outmatched. Both coalition warships were lost, but the Innovaganix mass conveyor was still severely damaged. The Free Systems won the day in the raids at Kalonda, Regotha, and Olympia, despite the mutiny of a wargalleon in the latter. Even in the skirmishes that were tactical defeats for TFS, however, mass conveyors were damaged and/or delayed, complicating Innovaganix logistics. Overall, the operation was deemed a success. Innovaganix Reprisal Although Innovaganix was likely planning to deploy their new virus anyway, the efforts of Innovaganix infiltrators meant that Innovaganix could do it in retaliation against Operation Shellshock. Innovaganix intelligence was uncertain about who exactly had performed the strikes - they were in too many different places at once to be the fault of any single rival. But Deon Banner insisted that Rho Aquilae was responsible, probably working in cohesion with Lukkastor. This was partially true, but data from Kalonda and Atodes indicated that attacks had from from New Nassau as well. It was supposed that the planet was used merely as a staging point for the attacks rather than being an ally of the coalition. This was not true. Thanks to infiltration, the inhabitants of the jointly-owned world of PACME had been infected with spades, some 40,000 people. Security was too tight on Rho Aquilae itself to get through, and Innovaganix settled for what it could get. A covert squadron had also successfully built the beacon necessary to activate the virus - which was done from orbit. And so the first casualties of Spades flooded medical reports. The planet was put under military quarantine, and experts fought in vain to destroy the virus. By the end of the month 40,000 people had died, despite the best efforts of various organizations, spades has a 100% mortality rate - all that could be done was to slow ones' death and make it more comfortable. The attack on PACME shocked the region, and quelled any skepticism about the existence of spades. However, there was not definitive proof that Innovaganix was responsible for the attack (at least, none that had yet been made public). Deon Banner placed blame on Lukkastor, with which it was in a state of war, citing Lukkastor's dissatisfaction with Rho Aquilae's military contributions as a possible cause for punishment. Lukkastor, naturally, denied the accusations, RCEO Evan Sidney saying in a live interview, "If that attack wasn't Banner's, I'll eat my hat." Even without solid evidence to incriminate Innovaganix, most of the region wasn't fooled. Innovaganix was the biomedical mega-conglomerate, afterall, and its unethical research practices were well-known, with scandals and failed coverups in recent memory. If anyone would engineer a virus to use in this way, it would be IVX. Minor outbreaks on Epsilon Izari also served to elevate awareness of spades, and induced panic as people wondered if they were already infected or not. Coalition grows Battle of Regotha Battle of Dracona Battle of New Sol Battle of Iota Zulu Battle of the Dunes The Regotha Convoy Spread of the war Siege of Spiremos Category:Wars